Pianist Jae-Sung Bae and Others Win Myeonsarang Young Artist Award

The Korea Mecenat Association and Myeonsarang announced on the 19th that they have selected pianist Jae-Sung Bae (26), violinist Soo-Bin Lee (26), and double bassist Siheon Yoo (21) as the recipients of the 4th Myeonsarang Young Artist Award.

Marking its fourth year, the Myeonsarang Young Artist Award selects three winners among those who have placed in the piano, wind, and string sections of international music competitions held within the past five years (2021–2025). Each recipient receives 10 million won per year for three years. The award was established to support young performers with artistic talent and growth potential. In addition to official prizewinners, recipients of special awards—such as the Jury Prize, Critics' Prize, and Audience Prize—are also eligible for support.

Jung Se-jang, CEO of Myeonsarang (left), pianist Jae-sung Bae (second from left), violinist Su-bin Lee, and double bassist Si-heon Yoo's families are taking a commemorative photo. Korea Mecenat Association

Pianist Jae-Sung Bae won fifth place and a special award at the 2024 Seoul International Music Competition. He is currently pursuing a professional artist course at the Korea National University of Arts and will enter the master's program at the New England Conservatory in the second half of this year.

Violinist Soo-Bin Lee has garnered attention both in Korea and internationally by placing in major competitions such as the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition, the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, and the Montreal International Musical Competition. Since 2024, she has been an artist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium.

Double bassist Siheon Yoo became the first Asian and the youngest winner in history at the 2024 Giovanni Bottesini International Competition, also receiving the special prize for performers under 25. Last year, he made history as the first Korean to unanimously win first place at the International Society of Bassists (ISB) Competition. He is currently studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in Austria.

Lee Chung-Kwan, Secretary General of the Korea Mecenat Association, stated, "Even after winning international competitions, continuing performance activities and advancing onto overseas stages requires significant time and effort. We hope this support will serve as a driving force for the performers' continued growth and new challenges."

As part of the sponsorship program, the three musicians are scheduled to hold a concert and masterclass for local orchestra students in Jincheon, Chungbuk, where Myeonsarang's headquarters is located, in the second half of this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.